but a big thrill for anyone to see them show up at their on our broadcast tonight, the scare in the air. we'll show you and hear what happened when a passenger triggered a terrorism alert and caused a scare. a setback tonight in the search for those missing miners. with time running out, rescue teams are forced out of the mine. spring fever. why people are suffering more this pollen season than any other time in recent history. and that last call for some big american names in the war zone. what the troops are saying about the coming farewell to fast food. "nightly news" begins now. captions paid for by nbc-universal television good evening.

first reports that a man from a middle eastern country tried to set f a shoe bomb from a flight last night from washington to denver. first reports are often wrong and so was this one, but it triggered a massive scare that spread through the flying skies across the country. fighter jets were scrambled, passengers were frozen in place. in the end, there was no bomb, just a combination of wrongdoing on the part of the passenger and misunderstanding in the post 9/11 era of zero tolerance in our skies. our report on what did happen from our justice correspondent pete williams. he's where the flight originated at national airport in washington. pete, good evening. >> reporter: brian, it happened on a united airlines flight that took here from reagan national airport. the trouble began when a passenger tried to sneak a smoke onboard and made a flippant, and very unfortunate remark. it was a harrowing night for 157 passengers aboard a united

airlines flight, though it ended safely. >> it was quite an inconvenience, but better than a tragedy. right flight 663, a 757 like this one, was well on its way, about an hour from its scheduled stop in denver before going on to las vegas when a passenger in first class spent a long time in the bathroom. federal investigators say when he came out a flight attendant smelled smoke and notified two federal air marshals onboard. they questioned the man, 27-year-old mohammed al madadi from qatar. assigned to its embassy in washington. he was on official business to check on the treatment of a federal prisoner, convicted last year of being an al qaeda sleeper agent in the u.s. when asked about smoking in the bathroom he replied, "i was trying to light my shoe on fire." and refused to give up his lighter. taking no chances, the file sent an emergency message. the faa relayed warnings to

other planes in the air. >> be advised usair carrier has reported a passenger has attempted to ignite his shoes on fire. all pilots are to maintain extra vigilance and report any anomalies immediately. >> reporter: passengers on other flights were told to stay seated and put everything away. cnbc scott cohen flying last night on continental to new jersey said the pilot gave a warning. >> he came back on and said i want to reiterate, you're not allowed to having anything on your laps, especially cell phones and computers. if we find anything on your lap, i will divert the flight. >> reporter: two f-16 fighter jets were scrambled to escort the united flight. al madadi who was wearing sandals was searched. no explosives were found. a frequent critic of the department of homeland security says the government's response was just right. >> the air marshals from all that i know did exactly the right thing. what he did was absolutely stupid and irresponsible. >> reporter: the justice

department decided not to file charges which would have been legally complicated because al madai has diplomatic immunity, but qatar agreed to send him packing back home tomorrow. pete williams, thanks. we turn to our coverage in west virginia and a bad setback for the families of four trapped miners. rescue teams went in just before 5:00 a.m. but they were turned back. our own tom costello is in naoma this evening with the very latest there. tom? >> reporter: good evening. they have been ventilating this mine around the clock, taking air samples every 15 minutes. they believe that those poisonous gas levels inside the mine are starting to drop again and hope to send the rescue teams back in some time this evening. with low clouds and rain moving in, four eight-man rescue teams ventured 4.5 miles into the mountain. after four hours, explosive gas levels in the mine started

rising and commanders ordered them out. for rescuers, concern for fellow miners, total frustration. >> you can imagine hauling equipment for a long distance, getting out there, getting exactly where you need to be and then having to double-time back out because you find yourself in harm's way. >> reporter: experts continue to say the four missing miners could have only survived if they made it to one of two rescue shelters five miles inside the mine, where there should be enough oxygen to last at least until tomorrow afternoon, and probably longer. the plan now, drill a new hole near one of those shelters, then drop a camera to see if anyone is inside. the hope, says the governor, is that three men made it to one shelter while the fourth man made it to another. if three men are in a rescue chamber, they would be right there in the middle of that bad gas right now. >> that's fine. if they're in there, we are going to find somebody. those things are designed for that. >> reporter: monday's explosion was so violent and the lingering

gasses so toxic, experts say it's highly unlikely anyone is still alive. tom and cindy davis are already grieving. their son cory died in the mine along with tom's brother and a nephew. cory's uniform hangs outside. his boots on the front porch. his dad had just left the mine when it exploded, with cory inside. >> he said, let's go dance with the devil. i said keep your feet. don't stop dancing. >> reporter: back here at the rescue site and the families of those who are missing and deceased but still inside the mine continue to wait anxiously. nbc news has also learned new information about the mine operator. that inspectors ordered parts of the mine or all of it closed on 61 occasions over the last 15 months, more than 100 times

since the year 2000, and five of those instances were because of what the inspectors called imminent danger issues. lastly, president obama ordered an initial assessment of what went wrong next week. he also wants to make sure this never happens again. >> continues to be such a heartbreaking story out of west virginia. tom costello, thanks. we turn to the big news story overseas today. it came out of prague. the u.s. and russia, the two world superpowers signed a new treaty to reduce their stock piles of nuclear weapons. a new start for two old coal cold warriors. our chief white house correspondent chuck todd is traveling with the the president. >> reporter: receiving a red carpet welcome, president obama came to prague thursday to sign a new nuclear arms treaty with the world's only other nuclear superpower russia. >> this ceremony is a testament to the truth old adversaries can forge new partnerships. >> reporter: hosted by the czech

president, mr. obama and russian president medvedev posed for photos, then put pen to paper. it was a ceremony that lacked the drama of old cold war years which may explain the jovial expressions both had after they finished their official business. the treaty limits deployed nuclear war heads to 1,550 total for each country. attitudes they had. it's a cut of 30% from the last treaty in 2002. long-range nuclear weapons limited to 700 for each country. the two countries account for 90% of the world's nuclear weapons with seven other countries accounting for the other 10%. before a single nuclear weapon is destroyed, the treaty must be ratified by the u.s. senate, a prospect the white house appears to be somewhat nervous about. >> it will be a test for washington. >> reporter: senate republicans may use the ratification debate to raise larger concerns about the administration's overall nuclear policy. >> if you draw down the number of weapons and weapon delivery systems, nuclear war heads and systems that deliver them under

this treaty, which will be done, it is even more imperative that what you have left works. and is safe and secure. >> reporter: looming over all this is iran and its own nuclear ambition. russia agreed to some level of sanctions against iran. >> we are working together, the united nations security council to pass strong sanctions on iraq. iran. >> reporter: with the russians onboard, aides hope to get china to agree to new sanctions with iran next week. china's president meets with president obama in washington during the white house nuclear security summit. chuck todd, nbc news, prague. in a strange confluence of events we learn late today one of the old cold warriors, the former soviet ambassador to washington anatoly dobrynin died. the kremlin made the announcement earlier today. he worked with six u.s. presidents. he served six soviet leaders in all. he played a key role in history

during the cuban missile crisis serving as a back channel man with the kremlin and helping president kennedy prevent a potential nuclear showdown. the closest the u.s. and russia have ever come to that kind of confrontation. he was 90 years old. the deadly flooding in rio de janeiro went from bad to worse today. some 10,000 homes at risk of being destroyed or washed away. people are trapped, desperate and afraid. nbc's mark potter has our report. >> reporter: in a shanty town near rio de janeiro the death toll continues to rise as rescue workers pull bodies from tons of mud and rubble. torrential rains, the worst in nearly 50 years, have been falling since monday, causing dozens of mudslides in the densely populated mountains around the city, where entire slum neighborhoods have been buried, trapping 200 people overnight.

this man says, "my entire family is underneath there." the latest mudslide struck a town just outside of rio. a slum there was built atop a former landphil, the unstable ground giving way in the heavy rain. joseph carter, a former journalist who shot these pictures said most of the victims were bus drivers, maids and other working poor suffering horrible losses. >> there were a lot of mothers crying. i spoke with one mother that lost both daughters. she made it out, but the girls didn't. >> reporter: the rain and mudslides brought chaos to rio, residents unable to escape disaster because of damaged and clogged roads. this raises questions about brazil's ability to host the olympics in 2016. government officials insist they will be ready then and say today they are evacuating slums to

prevent further disaster now. mark potter, nbc news, miami. a quick note on the economy tonight. still some mixed signals out there. american are spending money. retailers across the board are posting big sales gains from last year when the stock market bottomed out. jobs are still an issue. labor department said today more people filed new claims for unemployment benefits last week than the week before. pain in the housing market still on the rise. diana olick of cnbc said foreclosures are set to break records when those numbers come out next week. in the hard-hit state of florida alone, almost 20% of mortgages are now delinquent by 90 days or more. few of those ever come back. when "nightly news" continues in a moment, if it seems like you're suffering this year like you never have before, turns out there's good reason for it. ♪

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health news tonight. there are safety questions about health news tonight. there are safety questions about an ingredient found in many american homes. the fda is taking a close look at an anti-bacterial chemical that's been used for years and surgeons use to scrub up for surgery. now it's in a lot of products including anti-bacterial soaps, lipstick, tooth paste, clothes and even toys. some studies suggest it might disrupt the body's hormonal system and may increase bacteria resistant to antibiotics. the industry says it's safe. the fda hopes to have clear answers next year. if you're an allergy suffer you know this without hearing it from us. it's as if a bomb went off out there this season. the suffering is sky high because the sky is full of

pollen. mother nature put together a combination of conditions that is making this spring a hay fever nightmare and there is a good reason for it. the story from our chief medical editor dr. nancy snyderman. >> reporter: spring is most certainly in the air. the bees are buzzing, everything's blooming, but not everyone's happy. >> it's terrible. >> reporter: the annual pollen attack has begun early thanks to heavy winter snow and rain, and now unusually warm temperatures across much of the country. >> the worst i've ever seen. yes, it is. the absolute worst. >> reporter: in georgia, the pollen count is at near-record levels. al williams has been cleaning the yellow dust off his car every few hours. >> 30 minutes from now it will be back to where it was. >> reporter: for more than 40 million americans, few things feel worse. >> when your eyes are watering out of control and your nose is dripping, it's hard to function. >> reporter: in new york city,

dr. jillian shepard says complaints have been poring in. >> the phone starts ringing. the minute you see the first flower on the first tree, that's it. >> reporter: the main culprit is tree pollen, like the birch trees growing outside dr. shepard's office. >> this is a couple of weeks away from developing that fine powder. >> reporter: it's already bringing tears to this woman's eyes. >> i'm blooming with the spring. >> reporter: for most people over-the-counter medicine still work. if they don't, a nasal steroid by prescription might offer relief. as for the age-old question, spring cold versus allergies, how can you tell the difference? >> allergies never cause a fever. allergies rarely cause sore throats, and most colds start with symptoms in the throat. itchy eyes are a major problem which one never sees with a cold. >> reporter: even for allergy sufferers, it's hard to stay inside. this kind of weather is meant to be enjoyed, even if there is a sneeze or sniffle along the way.

and it's not over. trees are going to continue to be blooming and the grasses are right around the corner. for those who get relief then, a reminder that, brian, august, september, hay fever. >> it's always something. it's truly a record year. nancy, thank you. >> you bet, brian. when we come back, remembering an american original. mbering an american original. hey, aren't you... supposed to be following that fidelity green line? well, yeah, but it keeps leading me back to my old office. i think it might be broken. or maybe it's trying to tell you something. yeah, but what could it be trying... oh, i left my 401(k) at my old job. and i left a jacket on the back of my door. but i think the line is talking about my 401(k). leave a 401(k) behind? roll it over with the company that's helping more people reach retirement than anyone else. when it comes to investing, never settle. fidelity investments.

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in augusta, georgia, today it might have been the most anticipated tee shot in the modern history of golf. tiger woods, who hasn't competed in five months in the wakes of that sex scandal that broke open on thanksgiving night, played like he'd never left the sport in the opening round of the masters today. the gallery, we're told, was respectful and supportive. and with thanks to the folks

at "the new york times" for bringing the story tonight. tonight we note the death of a real-live hell fighter. the guys who put out oil well fires by blowing them up. it's an uncommon occupation. coots matthews was an uncommon man. he was from humble, texas. there wasn't much humble about him. he was portrayed in the john wayne movie "hell fighters." he was a colleague of the great red adair. he was a tail gunner in world war ii, shot down on his first mission, promptly went back up for many more. he was once fired from a company for crashing seven company cars. he was married four times to two women. getting the picture here? along with his partner boots hanson, yes that woik the company name coots and boots, would put out fire with explosives, depriving the well head of oxygen for a fire. he was called in when the iraqi army set fire to 700 oil wells on their way out of kuwait. he made quick work of that job.

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in "crimson tide" gene hackman's character says he doesn't trust air he can't see. he's talking about the long navy tradition of smoking onboard submarines. the navy announced today that will stop at end of this year because of second-hand smoke dangers. there will be nicotine gum and patches onboard for those who jones for nicotine while at sea. as we reported this week, a little bit of home onboard u.s. military bases is about to go away. most folks on u.s. bases eat at the dfac, slang for dining facility. there is also the option of fast foods. the chain you know from back home for the taste of something charbroiled, perhaps. by order of the command sergeant major to commanding general, that's about to stop in afghanistan. tonight our man there, nbc's john yang measures the reaction

on base. >> reporter: the bagram air field they are lining up for one last fast food fix. at the end of the month, burger king, popeye's and pizza hut are getting their discharge papers. when a fast food ban takes effect in bases in afghanistan. at lunchtime today, some were sorry to see them go. >> it's a nice break. i mean, since it's my first time coming over here, i decided to give myself a reward. >> reminds you of home. makes it more of a homey place. >> reporter: one said he was happy to see temptation removed. >> it's going to help me with my diet. >> reporter: when we blogged about the ban on msnbc.com, there was an unusually high number of responses. one said it was absurd. but a veteran of afghanistan wrote it was the taste of home and common luxuries that kept me going. one wrote the order reflects the spartan style of top u.s. commander general stanley

mcchrystal, one meal a day, eight-mile runs and a ban on alcohol. they say this isn't about depriving troops of a taste of home but keeping military priority straight as this enters what could be a crucial face. command sergeant major michael hall wrote, "this is a war zone, not an amusement park." he says supplying fast food outlets with french fries distracts from supplying the front lines with ammunition. >> we did the latest surge, it was like let's do it faster. we can only do it so fast because we only had so much capacity to bring things in. >> reporter: emphasis will be on what makes a bigger difference to troop morale, maintaining gyms and expanding internet and phone access. >> somewhere along the way we lost focus of why we're here. if we didn't have burger king, would the war be over? of course not. perhaps we would be a little bit further along. >> reporter: the age-old choice between guns and burgers.

john yang, nbc news, bagram air field, afghanistan. >> that's our broadcast for this thursday night. thank you for being with us. i'm brian williams. we hope to see you right back here tomorrow evening. good night. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com